How to Weave Rope From a Coconut

Here’s how to take a coconut and turn it into a length of cordage. This is a fantastic thing to know, should you ever find yourself stranded on a desert island.

Here’s a really cool little technique for making rope or cordage from a coconut. If only Gilligan had known about this! As many things as the castaways made from coconuts on that island, I never saw them make cordage.

The technique involves pulling the hairy fibers from the coconut, teasing them out and removing the hard stuff from the bundle. Then, all you do is pinch on a small bit and gently pull it from the bundle, twisting as you go.

This will automatically become a small strand of cordage.

Now, this small strand is pretty weak, but it’s the foundation upon which you can make stronger cordage. By twisting the strands and crossing them over one another, as he demonstrates in the video, you can make rope or cordage of any length, depending on how many coconuts you have available.

You can then use this cordage as a candle wick, to bind things as you would with any rope, or, if you’re just fooling around on the beach, for personal adornment. In any event, it’s a great skill to know and could come in handy in a real life situation or when you’re just killing time.

Here’s an earlier video he posted that shows you just how to split open a coconut. Tom Hanks sure could have used this info too when he was Castaway on that island.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his Facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.